Options
by The Loser Lord
Summary: Mako did not know how their argument had transcended into this, but he finally understood Korra. And he honestly, he felt stupid and guilty. - Makorra, episode 4-based


**A/N**: This was recently published on my tumblr page (korra-ttebayo), so if you see it, don't be alarmed. I really had this particular scenario in my head once I watched episode 4.

This is my first Makorra fic, soooo...yeah :D

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**Options**

by: kirei na yukki

Korra trembled as another gust of cold air touched her bare shoulders.

It was near dusk and the Avatar had not left the comforts of Air Temple Island. As a matter of fact, Korra had rarely moved from her spot in the meditating pavilion overlooking Yue Bay.

She had stayed in seclusion for about half a week, only moving when it was time to eat, bathe, or train - but only for airbending. Leaving the island was impossible. Korra had missed more days of Pro-bending practice and was certain that Mako was _absolutely furious_ with her, but she could not find it within her to feel apologetic.

Korra spent her days alternating between an attempted meditation and gazing forlornly across the sparkling bay at Republic City's stunning skyline.

She dutifully avoided eye contact with Avatar Aang Memorial Island.

She couldn't look there. Not ever.

Korra was simply incapable of doing so; she was too _afraid_. Fearful of what - of who - was lurking in the shadows. A cold sweat broke across her forehead and a hot, searing sensation burned at her eyes.

Who would _they_ come for tonight? Who would lose their bending? Tenzin? The kids? Herself? Her heart beat wildly against her chest and Korra squeezed her arms tightly against her sides. She was an unraveling mess and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it for now.

Her mind wandered back to the night Amon had attacked her; she remembered every word Tenzin had said to her as he comforted her.

"Admitting your fears is the first, and most difficult step, to overcoming them," he told her gently.

Korra's lips trembled and she slowly exhaled; her blue, blue eyes fluttered shut and she bathed waning sunlight.

She lay down, pressing her cheek against the pavilion's hard, cold floor and drifted, her back turned towards the city.

From across the bay, Mako glared sharply out his apartment window.

"That's the fifth practice Korra has missed!" he snapped. Bolin sat on the sofa, watching wordlessly as his older brother angrily paced in front of the window. Mako sent another cold scowl towards Air Temple Island before turning to his brother.

"What's her problem?" Mako inquired.

Bolin flinched and timidly shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh…maybe she caught…a…cold?" He suggested innocently. Mako growled again, effectively silencing his brother.

_Five times. _Their team mate had not shown up for five practices and the championship tournament was in another week! Mako ground his teeth and threw himself against the sofa.

That Korra…she really had no excuse for not showing up. He had read in the paper earlier that week that she had stopped running around playing police officer with that shady councilman, Tarrlok. Mako also knew that Korra was usually at airbending training in the early afternoon; she _definitely _had no excuse.

All that wasted time!

He bitterly noted that he could have been with Asami whenever Korra flaked out on them. Mako's anger bubbled in the pit of his stomach until he could not take the overwhelming pressure.

He _had _to push it out of his system.

Without another word to Bolin, Mako leapt to his feet and headed down the staircase.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?" Bolin called.

When Mako didn't answer, Bolin _knew_; Mako was going to confront Korra. The young earthbender hoped that his brother wouldn't do anything too rash to the hotheaded Avatar. Gathered from his experience with Korra, Bolin understood that Korra could possibly send his brother back home with a broken face.

He considered following Mako, but then quickly decided against it. He wasn't willing to play the mediator when the two were close to having an Agni Kai.

"…I think I'll stay here," Bolin said to Pabu. The fire ferret gazed up at his owner briefly before curling up where Mako had been previously seated.

Bolin expected that this meeting would not end well.

When Mako arrived on Air Temple Island, Jinora and Ikki, both rubbing Naga's belly, had quickly pointed Mako to the meditation pavilion. With a grunt of thanks, Mako angrily stomped towards his target.

Korra lay still in the center of the tiled pavilion, eyes now open and distant. Her anxiety had finally calmed down, leaving the Avatar feeling _drained_. She had opted to sleep outside again.

"Hey!" Mako shouted.

He stopped to tower over Korra. Very slowly, the young Avatar's azure eyes met the fiery amber irises of her team mate. She did not answer.

Mako continued.

"Why weren't you at practice today? Or yesterday? Or even the day before that?"

Korra slowly sat up and crossed her legs like usual. She casually shrugged - Korra had known that this - _angry Mako _- was coming, and quite frankly, he did not phase her.

Not at all.

Not with his new dapper wardrobe and sudden tastes for the finer things. And now with him standing authoritatively in front of her - distracting her from her fear and anxiety - Korra could feel something tightening and winding in the back of her mind.

She could sense anger coiling and Korra knew it was because of Mako. His sudden alteration had sickened her. Hadn't he resented her a few weeks previously because she was "privileged"? The filthy hypocrite…

Mako brows furrowed and he angrily threw his hands on his hips.

"What? Does the Avatar think she's too _good _to show up to practice?" Mako snidely inquired. Again, Korra did not answer. She remained sitting still with her growing fury, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes seemingly unfathomable to Mako.

When Korra did not answer, Mako stooped down and gripped Korra's arm, tugging her in his direction.

"Answer me, Korra!" he yelled.

"Leave me alone."

Her quiet and cold tone effectively halted the tirade that Mako was preparing for. It was so unusual for her and Mako's grip had loosened ever so slightly because he had taken notice. On impulse, Korra jerked her arm from Mako's hand and scrambled to her feet.

She glared.

"You think it's okay to just come in here and wave the privileged card in my face, Mako?" she asked.

By now, that winding spring in the back of her mind had snapped, and Korra could feel her fury (and anxiety) radiate through her body. She was shaking all over and had it not been for her trembling lips, Mako would have thought it been due to her anger.

There was clearly something wrong with her, he realized.

Korra gritted her teeth, stubbornly refusing to let the reemerging unpleasant feelings overtake her. She could feel her _stupid _emotions welling up in her eyes and she couldn't stop it.

"Do you, Mako?" she shrieked. Korra shoved Mako to the ground and now it was she who towered overhead, "Well, it isn't! In case you haven't noticed, being the Avatar isn't a privilege at all!"

She quickly turned her back from him, so he wouldn't see the overwhelmed tears beginning to stream down her face.

"While you're out on the town, taking long strolls in the park, eating at nice restaurants, attending pointless snobfest-parties - _pretending to be somebody you're not_ - I have to sit here and think about the balance of the whole universe!"

Korra reached out and tightly gripped the railings of the pavilion; Mako helplessly watched his team mate shake uncontrollably, "I have the weight of the entire world on my shoulders _and I don't know what to do with it_!"

She anxiously paced the pavilion, not once glancing at Mako, who was stunned into silence. By now, the Avatar was heavily breathing, trying her best to chew Mako out without hyperventilating. Korra could feel a sob rising on her chest and she needed to finish what she had to say before her body betrayed her.

"While you're out, so carefree and happy, I have to worry about Amon - still out and at large. I don't know what he'll do!"

She still refused to turn to Mako, but he knew - the truth was shamelessly seeping down her face. Korra's tears sparkled against the full moon's glow as they dripped onto the floor before Mako's feet.

The waves below crashed wildly against the cliffside as Korra shrieked and screamed at Mako.

She let out a frustrated sob and whirled around, punching the wooden pillar she stood near. A terrible cracking noise was emitted from Korra's closed fist, but she showed no sign of physical pain. She removed her fist from the pillar, revealing a slight imprint in the wood.

"I can't even step off the island because I don't want to face the consequences," she finished, her voice barely above a whisper, "I'm…" she hesitated for a few beats before finishing her sentence, "I'm too afraid to face them, but I'm not given a choice. It's my purpose."

Mako did not know how their argument had transcended into _this_, but he finally understood Korra. And he honestly, he felt stupid and guilty.

Korra was right.

He didn't have to worry about the cosmic balance of the universe or the well-being of others. He didn't have to worry about devising a peaceful solution to the non-bender revolution. Korra has no option; it was a responsibility given from birth and it was a responsibility she could never escape from.

A duty to the entire world bestowed upon one person; that is what the Avatar does.

He knew that Korra had grown up sheltered, but it did not occur to him that she could possibly be _overwhelmed _with her responsibility.

Mako was alerted as a violent sob wracked Korra's body and she spluttered limply onto the hard floor. She helplessly brought her knees up and buried her face in between, letting out the muffled cries she had been fighting against the entire day.

"Korra…"

Very cautiously, Mako gently laid a hand on Korra's forearm. It constricted from the contact, but Korra made no other movement. In a swift movement, Mako yanked Korra from her place into a warm - and extremely apologetic - embrace.

"I'm sorry," Mako quietly murmured.

Korra didn't respond - she merely buried her face into his shoulder blade and cried out all of her frustrations. All of her fear, stress, anxiety - all of it. And Mako just listened closely and held on to her tightly.

And somewhere between the arguing, crying, comforting and calming down, Mako came to realize: Korra did in fact have responsibility to the world, but Mako had a responsibility to stay with her through all of it.

He really had no options either.

And quite frankly, he didn't mind it.

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**Notes**: I honestly hope they bicker next episode. Just because :D


End file.
